Not Alone
by Detective Trotter
Summary: Three Months after the events at Monkswell Manor, the Ralstons have some unexpected visitors.


**This fic was inspired by a headcanon exchange I had with tumblr user medicationmambo. It's going to be long. I can tell. Here is the first chapter**

So he was a little bit distrusting. That was to be expected, wasn't it? Because for the past three months he had been confined to his private room in Bethlem Royal Hospital's Psychosis Unit. In fact, the most adventuring he had been allowed was down the hallway to the tiny rec center. No one had actually told him how "ill" he was, but he heard them talking. That was the problem with being one of just 20 inpatients. You hear everything. So of course he overheard them talking about how he was a "raving lunatic", "dangerous", "crazed murderer"... they were all true of course. But nonetheless unpleasant to hear. For the past three months, despite the fact that he had been on his absolute best behavior, and had only relapsed twice this month, he hadn't been allowed to do anything. They were all scared of him. Of what he could do. Of what he would do.

So that's why Georgie refused to believe Kathy when she told him that he was allowed to leave for a few hours, under her supervision. Once she had coaxed him out of his room, he trailed after her down the hallway, fear in his eyes. As if he was certain someone was going to grab him from behind and drag him back to his room. Lock him up. Like they wanted to. He knew they wanted to. He had killed two people. Almost a third. It would've been a third if Kathy hadn't… the thought still frightened him.

But somehow they made it out the door and by god, Georgie had forgotten what fresh air smelled like. What it was like to have the wind on your face, even if it was a cold March wind. He smiled widely, and grabbed Kathy's hands, spinning both of them around with a joyous laugh.

"Look at all the trees and the grass and the fluffy white clouds, Kathy!" She smiled back at him, more joyful than she would actually let on. She took his hand gently and they walked off down the street briskly.

After a moment, Georgie paused. "Where are we going?" he asked curiously. Kathy hesitated.

"It's a surprise," she said finally, with a small smile. Georgie brightened, as if the idea of a surprise was quite appealing, and asked no more questions. They got in a cab, and Kathy whispered an address to the cabbie, and off they went. When the cab pulled up at the curb in front of the large building, it took Georgie a moment to recognize it. He hadn't spent a lot of time studying the outside of it. But the sign on the front of the house- the name-

Georgie took a few rapid steps backward, stumbling away from the guest house. "No. No, I'm not going in there."

"Georgie," Kathy said, patiently but rationally, "I daresay you have less of a reason to be afraid than they will. In fact, I probably should've rang up before… Well, too late now."

His voice was very quiet. "But what if I- if I…"

She placed a comforting hand on his arm. "You won't. You've gotten so much better. That's why you're allowed to leave with me for a few hours. And the doctors agreed that it was important you come here. You are strong now, Georgie. You can do this."

He peered at her, nervous, but trusting. Then he nodded, and something in his demeanour changed. He stood up straighter, held his head higher, and straightened his tie. "I can do this," he echoed. With an encouraging smile from Kathy, he marched up to the door and rang the doorbell. He almost fled the step as soon as he'd done it, but he dug his heels into the ground and waited for someone to answer the door. He wasn't sure who he dreaded seeing more- the husband or the wife.

It was the husband after all- Giles Ralston, Georgie remembered. It took a moment for him to register who was standing before him, but when his eyes widened in shock, Georgie found himself standing in front a door that had been slammed in his face. He didn't move, just stood there, frozen. Then from inside the house he heard Mr. Ralston shouting, "Mollie! Call the police- he's escaped!"

Georgie froze and then scurried off the doorstep and ran back to Kathy who was still by the street. She opened her arms and he ran into them, and buried his face against her neck. He was shaking. "I'm sorry…" he whispered. "I tried… they're going to call the police… they're going to take me away and I didn't do anything- why did you bring me back here?" He sounded angry, but his voice was so distorted from sniffling that it hardly came across as threatening.

"Shh, Georgie, it's going to be okay. We're leaving, we're leaving…" She turned them around, only for them to be stopped by another voice calling from the house.

"Miss Casewell!" Kathy turned around, tugging Georgie with her. The voice came from a young man standing framed in the doorway. She remembered him- Christopher Wren. The eccentric young fellow who everyone else had suspected, but was hardly threatening at all. Georgie seemed to recognize him too, and relaxed just a bit. "Do come inside," Christopher Wren urged. "It's okay now, I swear." Georgie and Kathy exchanged a quick look, and then Georgie nodded slowly and started walking back up the path to the door. His eyes wandered to the large window which he recalled so vividly from before, and then locked back on the young man who was ushering them into the house. "It may not be winter anymore, but it sure feels it!"

They were greeted inside by a very nervous looking Mollie Ralston, who made sure to keep herself as far away from Georgie as possible. Of course he noticed. And that only made him more afraid too. A great combination, he thought sullenly.

"Miss Casewell!" Mollie stammered. "This is a surprise… You must understand… We were worried but Chris saw you out on the street too so we figured it was probably okay… Giles went upstairs… I hope you understand…" Kathy brushed her comments away with a wave of her hand and strolled into the sitting room, settling herself down in a chair. The couch, which Mrs. Boyle had died on, she noticed, was gone.

"Please, call me Kathy. It causes him great distress when I use my newer name." Mollie nodded, slowly, and sat down opposite her. Georgie was lingering further behind, eyes darting back and forth nervously. "Georgie, come here," she murmured, patting the sofa next to her. He nodded and paced over, sitting down quickly and not meeting Mollie's inquisitive gaze.

"I… I don't know where to begin," Mollie said after a minute, helplessly. "I'm a bit at a loss for words. Rather shocked, actually." She stood up. "Surprised that you-" she directed her words towards Georgie now, "Would have the nerve to come back here, after- after…" She sat back down quickly. Georgie shrank away a bit, and curled his hands into fists, only to keep them from shaking.

"Please don't, Mrs. Ralston," Kathy said coldly. "If you would like us to leave, we will. But if you are willing to hear what we have to say, then, pray don't speak so aggressively."

Mollie gaped at her. "Aggressively? Aggressively? It was your brother who…" she trailed off as Georgie lept to his feet and bolted to the door. "Oh, alright. I'm sorry." Her voice was quiet. Kathy got up and walked slowly over to Georgie, and after speaking to him in a low voice, they returned to the sofa together.

"I will spare you the tragic details of my brother's past, for I know you are quite familiar with them already," Kathy said coolly. "What has happened since is this: He was admitted to the National Psychosis Unit at Bethlem Royal Hospital in London as an inpatient. He has been restricted to his room for the past three months, spare meals, and his time in therapy. He has been on incredibly good behavior, and has relapsed a minimal amount of times. Considerably less than the average patient with a case like his."

"That's not a very good comparison," Georgie muttered quietly. "I heard them talking. They said I was the only one like me." Kathy squeezes his hand, but only shook her head and continued.

"The point is, most patients with severe Schizophrenia aren't allowed to leave the hospital this soon unless accompanied by one of the doctors. But they felt Georgie was ready. They suggested I bring him here. They seemed to think it would help his recovery."

Mollie nodded slowly, taking it all in. "I think I understand," she said. "But I do wish you had called ahead, Miss Ca- Kathy." She corrected herself with a sharp glance towards Georgie. "It would have caused many less issues."

"I'm sorry," Kathy said, and she did sound apologetic. "I was only informed of this whole thing this morning. I didn't have much time to think. I was simply overjoyed that he- well, that he's getting better. And besides," she added as an afterthought. "This is hard enough to explain in person. Imagine over the phone!" Mollie nodded, unable to argue any further.

They sat in silence for a few moments longer. Then Mollie stood up abruptly. "Would either of you like tea?"

Kathy only nodded, and it was Georgie who actually spoke up. "Yes please, Mrs. Ralston. Thank you." It sounded almost rehearsed, and yet his voice was confident and polite, and the words were genuine. Mollie blinked in surprise, then smiled, almost reluctantly.

"Right away, you two," she said, then whirled around the corner into the kitchen.


End file.
